The sunniest, funniest play of the year ‘I can think of nothing at present running that is so honestly, sharply funny’ – The Times

Double Olivier Award winner Janie Dee stars with Aden Gillett and Robert Portal in this dazzling revival of the 1950s hit comedy The Little Hut. There is a new programme note written by the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. (sister of Nancy Mitford).

Susan and Philip and Henry, Susan’s secret lover are washed ashore on a deserted island after a shipwreck. Adapted by Nancy Mitford from the French by André Roussin, this marital farce ran for over 1,500 performances in Paris and three years in the West End in the 1950s and was directed by Peter Brook. The MGM film (1957) was with Ava Gardner, David Niven and Stewart Granger.

Janie Dee’s recent film credit was as Mrs Samuels in the Award winning ‘Me And Orson Welles’. She has won many Awards here and on Broadway. She has appeared in many Pinter productions directed by Peter Hall; has been in numerous West End musicals including Gershwin’s ‘My One and Only’. Alan Ayckbourn wrote ‘Comic Potential’ especially for her. She is currently writing a screen version of Ayckbourn’s ‘Woman In Mind’ in which she played the leading role of Susan last year at the Vaudeville. Her last West End role was as Annie in ‘Calendar Girls’.

Aden Gillett’s most recent West End role was as George Banks in ‘Mary Poppins’. He has been in many Peter Hall productions including in ‘Blithe Spirit’ with Penelope Keith and opposite Janie Dee in Pinter’s ‘Betrayal’. Aden portrayed Peter Towsend in the BBC TV programme ‘The Queen’s Sister’. He played Jack Maddox in 33 episodes of ‘The House of Eliott’.

Robert Portal will be seen in the new Woody Allen film ‘You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger’ with Naomi Watts, Antonio Banderas and Frieda Pinto. He recently played Richard Hannay in ‘The 39 Steps’, and in Simon Gray’s ‘The Common Pursuit’ at the Menier. He has been in many productions with the RSC and National Theatre.

The director is Tim Luscombe, whose West End work includes Noёl Coward’s ‘Relative Values’ and ‘Private Lives’ and Stoppard’s ‘Artist Descending a Staircase’. The designer is Mark Friend, who has just designed Mark Ravenhill’s ‘Nation’ at the National Theatre. The lighting is by Hansjörg Schmidt.